Race day best bets and inside mail for Muswellbrook, Dubbo on Monday

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass runs the rule over Monday’s meetings in NSW.

Trainers Paul Messara (pictured) and Leah Gavranich can add another win to their season tally with Akasawa at Rosehill on Saturday. Picture: Grant Guy

Brilliant Knight, a son of the Arrowfield Stud resident stallion Dundeel, looks ready and able to win for Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich on Monday.

BEST BETS WITH SHAYNE O’CASS

MUSWELLBROOK

BEST BET

Race 6 No. 1: Brilliant Knight

Dundeel who will relish 1500m today after a debut over 1200m.

NEXT BEST

Race 5 No. 7: Zouking

Trialled exceedingly well on numerous occasions In good hands.

VALUE

Race 2 No. 6: Jo Jo Sun

Has done enough in better company. Reliable type.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 3,5,6

Race 5: 7,11

Race 6: 1,13

Race 7: 1,2

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Aaron Bullock is getting very close indeed to 1,000 wins.

Aaron Bullock is the jockey to follow. Picture: Jeremy Ng - Getty Images

DUBBO

BEST BET

Race 6 No. 5: Wilbury

Has won 2 Highways since he joined the Brett Robb barn.

NEXT BEST

Race 4 No. 14: Casino Diva

Lightly-raced grey who is on her way to a peak.

VALUE

Race 1 No. 9: Sabatina

Those runs are better than they look; wants 1200m too.

INSIDE MAIL

MUSWELLBROOK

RACE 4

Touch Of Navy’s numbers tell it better than words ever could so here goes; 5 wins, 4 seconds and one third from 20 starts. Track and distance; 3 starts for 2 wins, 4 wins from 7 circa this trip and is 2 wins and a second from 3 runs at Muswellbrook. Feirme Prince has been racing consistently over a long period now. He can really let rip on his best days. Go well and ought to be suited with the small field. Aimpoint is in good hands and trialled rather well at Dubbo recently.

Bet: Touch Of Navy to win, exacta 3 to beat 6

RACE 5

Zouking has a nomination in for a 1000m Super Maiden at Scone on Thursday. He trialled five times dating back to Jan 31 in 2024, all of them good, some of them very good! Wedding Planner brings together the Libertini connection of Gerry Harvey and Anthony Cummings and this mare is as well bred (and on the same cross) as she was, probably even more of a blue-blood.. Trialled well too.

Bet: Zouking to win, quinella 7,11, exacta 7,11 or if scratched Wedding Planner to win

RACE 6

Brilliant Knight is trained by Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich who both see this horse’s father, Dundeel, everyday at Arrowfield. Brilliant Knight was himself born and raised at Arrowfield. He’s a half to dual Hong Kong G1 winner Contentment. Nice prospect in a ‘moderate maiden’ today. Search Warrant raced, first-up, like a horse looking for 1500m. Pathelia is not without claims.

Bet: Brilliant Knight to win (best bet)

RACE 7

Invincible Whip is a lightly-raced type who has started six times for a win, two seconds and a third, noting that the two unplaced runs weren’t all that bad either. Trialling up well. By the way, if it wins, it will be jockey Andrew Gibbons’ 469th winner for Lees. Hoo Haa took 21 starts to shed her maiden status but it was a very good win and secondly, she had/has been competitive in the majority of her 20 starts. Oenology was very good in his only two runs for Wayne Brown last prep.

Bet: Invincible Whip to win, box trifecta 1,2,5,8

DUBBO

RACE 4

Casino Diva is a grey filly in the Sniper’s Bullet colours with three runs on her C.V at present. Unplaced in all of them true, but they weren’t so bad and she has raced like a horse that is just itching to get out to 1400m and more after that. Plucky Ducky, a $600 online purchase in September 2024 is maybe a touch more talented than what her form suggests. Change is as good as a holiday for some anyway. Miss Adamas has been costly but can win.

Bet: Casino Diva to win, Plucky Ducky to place

RACE 5

Island Legend has been with Wyong trainer Nikki Hodgson for the last four of his 28 career starts and is ‘2218’. Jockey reported that the horse didn’t handle the soft conditions in that last one at Taree on Jan 7. Cheap Gas was a drifter first-up at Gunnedah and finished down the order but he drew 13 of 13 with 59kg and he didn’t exactly have a clear runway for takeoff in the big field. Capable of so much better.

Bet: Island Legend to win, quinella 2,4, box trifecta 2,4,5,6, DD 1st Leg (2), 2nd Leg (10)

RACE 6

Wilbury, a $1.05 million Easter Yearling in 2021 was subsequently purchased by Anthony Manton (Patriot Bloodstock) for $32,500 in March 2023. Wilbury has won 4 times since and two of them are Highways, one of those he beat Gallant Star. Silver Halo is a pretty handy mare on her best day. She won a very good Class 2 on Scone Cup day first-up last preparation. Outback Ringer and Smart And Dapper have claims.

Bet: Wilbury to win, Silver Halo to place

RACE 7

You Have To Go races in the ubiquitous black/silver fern colours of esteemed owner/breeder John Thompson (think Diatribe etc). This gelding has won just 1 from 15 but it is vitally important to note that the win was here at Dubbo, over this trip, and he won by four lengths too! Diatribe aside, there ‘Thommo’ would never have owned a bigger finisher than this horse! Former Victorian Rouge Moulin has been very good indeed since he went to Brett Robb’s stable.

Bet: You Have To Go each-way, exacta 10 to beat 2, Box First 4: Nos. 2,3,4,5,10

Originally published as Race day best bets and inside mail for Muswellbrook, Dubbo on Monday